Lock



' Dec. 14 1926.

H. A'. DOUGLAS LOCK Filed oct. 26, 1925 and the wall 2 being cylindrical.

`Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

UNETED STATES e 1,610,497 PATENT OFFICE.`

HARRY A. DOUGLAS, OF BRONSON, MICI-GAN.

LocK.

Application fnea october 26,'159'25. Aserial No. 674.897..

locked or unlocked, the lighting portion out theswitch being capable of operation independently of the ignition portion of the switch; Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 22 of Fig. 1;A Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the inner end ot the lock and contiguous parts; Fig. 4 is a view on a larger` scale illustrating the lock with thekey therein, the lock being then in unlocking adjustment; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectional viewV on line 6-6 of Fig. 4; Fig. is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the tubular member oi the lock in one of the positions Vto which it may be t-urned by the fully inserted key; and Fig. 8 is a side view of the key alone.

The switch illustrated, will be first described, in order that the illustrated use of the improved-lock may be understood.

The switch casing has an end wall 1 and a side wall 2, the wall 1 being essentially flat Apmountingplate 3 isvdisposed over the end wall and upon the exterior of the casing beyond which the end plate'laterally projects. A handle 4l1as a hub portion 5 formed with flanges 6 that' are confined ,in a space afforded between the plateB' and casing wall 1, a construction that'detin'es for the handle an axis of turning movement which is coineident` with the axis ot' the )switch casing. In switches oi' thisA type, which are well known in the art, `theuhandle has continuations, not shown, extending through arcuate slots in the casing wall 1 that are coaxial with the casing and the handle, these continnations being coupled with a ring 7 of insulation. This ring is in actuating relation with contacts 8 that are arranged to be moved into and out of engagement with contacts 9 which pertain to the various lighting o circuits of an automobile.

Another insulating ring 10 is surrounded by the ring 7 and'may also be turned toopen and close the ignition `circuit of the automobile equipped with the switching mechanism.

The ring 10 is provided witha lock whereby the ignitioncircuit may be locked open, the' portion of the switching mechanism governing the lighting circuit being operable at all times independently' of the portion of theswitching mechanism that governs the ignition switch. The drawing illustrates theV use ot" a lock ot my invention in controlling the ignition portion ot the switching mechanism. The lock illustrated is inclusive Vof a tubular member 11 formed with a flattened inner extension 12 receivable in a slot 13, constituting the borel of the ring 10.

Through tlie intermediation of mechanism hereinafter described, the tubular member 11A may be turned by a key 14 inserted through the circular opening 15 formed lin the inturned outer end of the tubular member. A shell 16, constituting the preferred form of lock guard, surrounds the tubular member 11 and is ixedlymounted upon the end wall 1 of the switch easing by means of tongues 17 carried by and projecting inwardly from the shell and clinched over the inner surface of the casing wall 1, as illustrated in Figs. 3v and 5.' The tubular member 11 is formed with a slot 18 in its side and the shell is formed with a slot 19 in itsside, said slots being positioned to be brought into andeutet register upon turning of theV tubu-V lar member. A radially movable locking bar 2O is carried by the tubular Vmember in its slot and is partially receivable in the slot formed in the shell, when the l,two slots are in register and the locking bar isl moved outwardlyupon the withdrawal of the keyA 14, as will more fully appear. Annular rotatable tumblers 21,v are arranged in the tubular member 11 coaxial therewith, thebores of these tumblers being aligned to constitute a cylindrical receiving passagewaytor the key; Each ot these tumblersis formed with a peripher'al` recess 22 and a ward 28. .The

wards andH recesses in they dilfereiiti tuinblersV are,v preferably" located at different distances apartA` so"A the' recesses' will'l bein staggeredV relation when""tlie"l key is` withdrawn. VThe key is desirably formed from a metal strip folded back upon itself and with two adja-` cent longitudinal edge portions shaped to form a sinuous slot 24 providing wards 25 that are engageable with the wards 23. As the key is inserted, the inter-engaging wards 23 and 25 cause the tumblers 21 to t-urn in succession. the relation of the wards upon the key and loclr beine' such that the recesses 22 are ultimately brought into line when the key is fully inserted. These recesses are so located that, when they are aligned. they are collectively in parallelism with the slots. Prior to the insertion of the key, the recesses 22, are staggered so that the locking bar 2() is then certainly to be held by unrecessed portions of the tumblers in its outermost adj ustment in which it not only continues to be received in the slot 18 in the tubular member 11 but is also projected into the slot 19 of the shell 16 whereby the tubular nieml'ier is held from rotation.

In the use illustrated, the switching; meniber 10 being connected with the tubular member' 11, is held from rotation when the ignition circuit is open. lV hen the recesses 22 have been brought into alignment by the fully inserted key, the tlunblers 21 may be collectively turned to bring' the aligned recesses 22 into register with the slot- 18 to permit the looking bar 2O to be received in the aligned recesses. These recesses are of a size to receive the inner longitudinal side of the locking` bar and of a depth to prevent the inward movement of the locking bar out of the slot in the tubular member 11 and to permit the inwardly moved locking,` bar to escape the shell, thereby freeing the tubular member 11 to permit it to be turned, together with the switch member 10, by means of the lrey operating through ythe wards 23, the tumblers. and the locking.;l bar 20, partially in the recesses 22 and partially in the slot 1S in the tubular member. The bar 2O not only serves to couplev the tumblers with the tubular member 11 when the lock is open` and to couple the tubular member 11 with the cylindrical guard 16 when the loc-li is closed, but also serves to prevent relative rotation ot the tumblers when it is received in the aligned recesses when the lock is open so that the key can not be withdrawn when the lock is open, it such an arrangement be desired. In order to withdraw the key, the tun'iblers have to be collectively turned to place the locking bar in register with the slot 18. lVhen the locking' bar has been thus placed, the key may be Withdrawn, the sides of the recesses 22 sloping so that as the tumblers are turned, the recessed sides that are torced against the locking bar by the turning action ot' the key will ride upon the locking bar and force it out of the recesses 22partially into the slot 1f). Thus when the key is withdrawn, the lock is closed and is maintained closed because the recesses 22 are in staegered relation when the liey is withdrawn, the unrecessed portions ot the tuinblers ongaging the inner side ot the locking bar to hold it in its outwardly projectingr position in which it is received in the locking; slot 1),

The locking` bar is Constrained to move inwardly so that when the recesses 22 are aligned and placed in register with the slot 18, the bar will at once enter the reces. To thus constrain the locking bar. l des r ably employ a leaf spring 2G anchored at one end to the shell 16 and connected at its other end with a floating block 2T which is received in the outer portion ot the slot 19 'f'- and which presses against the outer side oil the locking bar 20 through the action the spring'.

lt will be seen that the .locking bar E2() relieves the tuniliilers Q1 ot any direi-t, locking engagement with the shell 16. The tumblers, being: comparatively delicate, are relieved ot the heavy locking action by tho bar, the tumblers serving merely to position the bar in locking adjustment. I do not wish to be limited to the rotatable tumblers. in all embodiments o1 `the invention, nor to the action of each tumbler in thrusting' the locking bar into its outward andl locking` position, it being apparent that this latter function may be performed by a portion only of the tumblers.

Features not herein claimed torni the subject matter of a division ot this application, Serial No. 123, 955, tiled July 21, 1926.

rthe key is claimed herein. rlie lock s claimed in my copending application Serial Number 123,955, tiled July 21, 1926.

Changes may be made without departingy from my invention,

Having thus described my invention, l claim:

1. A key formed of a metal strip .tolded upon itself and having adjacent longitudinal edge portions ot the folded portions oi the strip shaped to form a slot having; operating wards.

2. A, key formed of two adjacent portions ot' strip metal placed side by side and hav-- ing adjacent longitudinal edge portions shaped to form a slot having operatingr wards.

In witnesswhereot, I hereunto subscribe my name.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

loo 

